By Josh Nason
Oh hell yeah I used that headline.
July was kind meh for exciting TV and I was fine with that as it provided a good time to attempt to catch up as well as check out the best show on TV: the Boston Red Sox. (Sorry, Yankees fans.)
A spin through the upcoming slate of shows coming out this month, however, is showing TV is hot again as we prepare to bid adieu to summer. What better way than to stay inside?
Lioness s3 | Paramount+ | August 4
After doing the franchise movie thing, Zoe Saldana found a plot of land in the Sheridanverse with Lioness and it absolutely works. If you’re into a female-led version of Jack Ryan but with more bullshittin’ around the lads and lasses and with just the right dose of politics, this is pretty great.
Ted Lasso s4 | Apple TV | August 5
This is a great example of how cash rules all. We thought we had bid adieu to Lasso in May 2023 but alas, the money was too good to not find a way to do it. It’s incredible to me how often I see Lasso in Apple’s tv Top Ten, but perhaps this is truly their version of The Office or Seinfeld: something people just watch and watch and watch. Regardless, we’ll be watching.
Reacher s4 | Prime Video | August 12
I feel like I hear more now about people acting almost embarrassed admitting they watch Reacher. Why? It’s a fun weekly 45-ish minutes featuring a guy who is now a big star because of the first three seasons as it’s a massive hit. Sounds ok to me. (Just no more attempts at Maine accents, please). The first three episodes drop on August 12.
Lanterns s1 | HBO Max | August 16
I was excited for this back in March and that feeling hasn’t waned since then. The DC TV shows have been a bigger hit than the movies as of late (Peacemaker is really good) and this feels like it could be pretty great — lined up in HBO’s Sunday night sweet spot.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia s18 | FX/Hulu | August 17
It’s hard to believe this is coming back for season 18…which reminds me that I have to watch season 17 at some point. I also learned that this was announced on July 15, but I guess a month-long lead time for a show that has more nostalgic feel than a creative must-watch doesn’t really matter in 2026.
A few honorable mentions from July?
- Lucky on Apple TV has an interesting trailer…and that was it for July for this guy.
